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(No Model.) 2 sheets sheet 1.

k G. W. WBNTZELL RAILROAD SWITCH. v v No. 544,705. Patented Aug. 20, 1895.

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0. W. WENTZELL RAILROAD SWITCH.

No.544,705. v Patented Aug. 20, 189 5.

1 VIA Y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

CLAUDE W. 'WENTZELL, or HARPERS FERRY, wnsr VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WILL 0. RAU, OF SAME PLACE.

RAILROAD-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 544,705, dated August 20, 1895.

Application filed March 28, 1895- Serial l lo-543.586. (llo model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLAUDE W. WENIZELL, a resident of Harpers Ferry, in the county of Jefferson and State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Switches; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in railroad-switches, the object of the invention being to produce simple and efficient means whereby to insure the automatic closing of a switch when a train shall have passed the same, whether the train be running onto or off of a siding.

A further object is to so construct a railroad-switch and devices connected therewith that after the switchshall have been manually set for the siding it will be automatically released by a car passing thereon, but maintained open by the weight of the train until the latter shall have passed wholly onto or ofi? of the siding, and then release the entire switch mechanism and permit the switch to automatically close and lock.

A further object is to produce an automatically-closing railroad-switch which shall be simple in construction, sure and easy in oper-' ation, and effectual in all respects in theperformance of its functions.

With these objects in view the invention consists in certain novel features of constructionand combinations and arrangements of parts, as hereinafter setforth, and pointedout in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view illustrating my invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are side views illustrating a portion of the switch-operating devices. Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views.

A A represent the main rails of a railroadtrack; B B, the rails of a siding, the rail B constituting a continuationof the main rail A, and C 0 represent the pivoted switch-rails. A series of brackets a is disposed parallel with the rails A B in linewith the edge of the outer flange a thereof, each bracket having a portion at extending under the rails and shall have passed over the switch.

secured to the flanges thereof by means of suitable bolts. The brackets a are tied together by means of bars or straps a one end of each strapbeing secured to the web of the rail. Spacing-blocks a are disposed parallel with the outer face of the web of the rail At nally-movable bar or rail D, located between said blocks and brackets, to be normallydisposed close to and flush with the treadof the rail. The movable bar or rail D is of a length somewhat greater than the distance between two trucks of a railroad-car, so that when a train is passing over it a wheel will always be upon said bar or rail until the entire train able bar is made with a' series of curved slots 6, preferably corresponding in number with that of the brackets a and spacing-blocks The mov- Through each bracket a, spacing-block a, slot b, and the web of the rail bolts 1) are passed, the intermediate portions of saidbolts being made of greater diameter than the ends to form shoulders 11*, which bear against the brackets a and blocks a and keep them properly spaced apart, so as to prevent the. m0v-. able bar or rail D from binding.

By connecting the rail or bar D with the rails A B, as above described, it will be seen that when said bar is moved longitudinally it will be caused also to move upwardly slightly above the tread of the rail, for a purpose hereinafter explained. 1

The switch-rails are pivotally connected with a movable switch bar or rod 0, located under the rails and projecting laterally beyond the rail B. To the end of the rod or bar 0 one end of an arm 0 is pivotally connected, and the other end of said arm is pivotally connected to an arm d of a lever 01. The lever d is pivotally supported between its ends in a suitable bracket (1 and to the arm d of said lever one end of a connectingrod 6 is pivoted, the other end of said conthe other end of the rod f being pivotally connected to an arm g, depending from a shaft h, and the latter is mounted in a suitable stand h. To the other end of the shaft h an operating-lever E is secured, by manipulating which the pivoted switch-rails will be shifted and the movable bar or rail D moved longitudinally.

The stand h is made with an enlargement 7& on which a shaft t is mounted in rear of the shaft h, and to one end of said shaft '5 an operating-lever E is secured, so' as to be directly in line with the lever E, and so that when the levers are in their normal positions the lever E will be immediately over the lever E. The lever E is provided with an arm 1;, adapted to enter and engage a lock i whereby to retain said lever E normally locked, and said lever E being directly over the lever E the latter will be also looked. An armj is secured to the shaft '5 and depends therefrom, the lower end of said arm being bifurcated for the reception of a bar 7a, having a slot in, and through the bifurcated end of the arm j and the slot a pin 70 passes. One end of the slotted bar is is pivoted to the lower end of the arm g, which depends from the shaft 71. A stand l is located in rear of the stand h, and has a horizontal shaft Z mounted thereon. To one end of the shaft Z a weighted arm m is secured, and to the other end of said shaft a depending arm n is.

fixed. A connecting-rod 0 is pivoted at one end to the depending arm n, and at the other "end said connecting-rod ispivotally attached to the depending arm j, at a point between the .ends of the latter. The lower end of the depending arm n projects through a slotp in a plate 13, the latter being secured to the base 13 on which the stands are mounted. A latchbar q, pivotally connected to the plate 19, projects within the slot p and is adapted to be engaged by the depending arm n, the outer end of said latch-bar being pivotally con-' nected to a rod q, adapted to move freely through perforated brackets (1 secured to the base 29 and on said rod, between the brackets (1 a spring 0' is located. The bifurcated end of a longitudinally-movable bar or rod 5 1e ceives the latch-bar at a point. between the ends of the latter, and is pivotally connected to it by a pin 9", said pin passing through elongated slots r in said bifurcated end of the rod or bars. The longitudinally-movable rod or bar 8 extends under the rails between two ties, and at its free end is provided with an upwardly and forwardly projecting arm .5, which is pivotally connected between ears 3*, projecting from a curved spring-bar t. The bart is secured at one end to suitable brackets a, fixed to the ties, and between its ends isnormally disposed in close proximity to the tread of the siding-rail B at a point near the pivoted switch-rail C. The flanges of the wheels of a train passing over the rail B will enter between the tread of the rail and the spring-bar t, and force said spring-bar laterally. The spring-bar is made with a hole 1; for the passage of a small rod 0, secured to suitable brackets, whereby to guide the movements of said bar.

Let it be assumed that it is desired that the train shall run from the main track onto the siding. The switchman will first unlock the levers E E. He will then raise thelever E, which operation will cause the oscillation of the shaft Z through the medium of theintermediateconnections-above described. Asthe shaft Z is operated, the weighted arm at will be raised and the depending arm n will be moved, so as to be engaged by the latch-bar q, which latter will serve to retain the parts in the positions to which they have been moved. Vhen the lever E shall have been raised, the pin 70 at the lower end of the arm j will have moved to the end of the slot 76' in the bar 70 nearest the pivoted end of said bar. The switch-operating lever E will now be raised, so as to shift the pivoted switch-rails O C and throw the long bar D from one end of its movement to the other, as above explained. \Vhen the lever E is thus raised, the slotted bar 70 will be moved, so as to cause the pin 70 to become disposed near the opposite end of the slot k in said bar. The switch and its operating mechanism are now set, and the train moves on the siding. The wheels of the train running on the rail A 13 will maintain the long bar D in the position to which it has been setviz, flush with the tread of the rail. The first Wheel of the train which reaches the spring-hart will move said bar, as above described, which movement will be transmitted to the latch-bar q through the medium of the bar 8 to cause the depending arm n to be released therefrom. The shaft Z will then be permitted to turn slightly until the pin k reaches the end of the slot 70 in the bar 70. The switch'operating mechanism will now have been released, and the various parts thereof will be connected togetheigthe weighted arm m tending to cause all the parts to return to their normal positions to close the.

switch, but will be prevented by the weight of the train on the long movable bar I), which, in order to move longitudinally to its normal position, must first move upwardly slightly above the tread of the rail; but this latter movement will of course be prevented by the wheel running over it, there being always at least one wheel on said bar as long as the train is passing. As soon as the last wheel of the train shall have passed over the bar D, no further resistance will be oifered to the action of the weighted arm n, and the latter will therefore drop, causing the various parts switch cannot be again thrown until said levers shall have been unlocked by the use of the proper key.

It is evident that the mechanism will be operated in the same manner when a train is to pass from thesiding onto the main track.

, From the construction and arrangement of parts as above set forth, it will be seen that when the switch shall have been opened manually it will be automatically closed by the action of the train in leaving the switch. The necessity of the switchman returning to the switch after a train has passed in order to close it, is not only obviated, but the closing of the switch is rendered certain, there being no occasion for relying upon the-memcry of any one to close it.

' A switch or signal stand F of any preferred form will preferably be provided and will be operated through the medium of a suitable rod F, connected at one end to the operating mechanism of said switch-stand and at the other end to the rodf.

Various slight changes might be made in the details of construction of my invention without departing from the spirit thereof or limiting its scope, and hence I do not wish to limit myself to the precise details of construction herein set forth; but,

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-' 1. The combination with a main track, siding, pivoted switch rails, and means for shiftin g these pivoted switch rails, of latch mechanism adapted to release this shifting mechanism to allow the pivoted switch rails to resume their normal position, a sliding bar connected with the latch mechanism, and inposition to receive a wheel flange between it and one of i the rails whereby to be operated by the passing car or train to release the latch mechanism, and a movable bar or rail in position to be controlled by the passing car and arranged to permit the pivoted switch rails to move when the car passes from it, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a main track, siding, pivoted switch rails, and operating mechanism for shifting these pivoted switch rails,

of latch mechanism adapted to release the shifting mechanism to throw the pivoted switch rails back to their normal position, a

spring bar having loose connection with thelatch mechanism, said bar adapted to be operated by a passing car whereby to release the latch, and a movable bar or rail in position to be controlled by the passing car and arranged to permit the pivoted switch rails to move when the car passes from it, substantially as set forth.

I 3. The combination with the pivoted switch rails of a railroad switch, of an operating lever for shifting said switch rails to open the switch, devices for automatically closing the switch after a train shall have passed, an op erating lever for setting saidclosing devices, said operating levers being so disposed that when in their normal positions with the switch closed, one'lever will be over the other,

whereby to shift the same, devices for automatically closing the switch, a lock for retaining said devices set after the switch shall have been opened, a spring bar adjacent to one of the track rails adapted to be moved by the 'fiange of a wheel, and a connection between, said spring bar and lock whereby to primarily release the closing mechanism so as to permit it to, operate to close the switch when the last wheel of the train shall have passed over-the said movable bar, substantially as set forth.

' 5. The combination with the pivoted rails of a railroad switch and a movable bar located adjacent to one of the track rails, said movable bar. having curved slots therein, a series of brackets for retaining said movable bar in proper positionvand pins passing through said brackets, s'lots and the track rail, of a lever connected with said movable bar and pivoted switch rails, means connected with said lever for automatically closing the switch, means for primarily locking said closing devices'and a spring bar adjacent to one of the track rails and adapted to be operated by the flange of a wheel to primarily release the closing devices so as to permit the latter to operate to automatically close the switch when the last wheel of the train shall have passed over the said movable bar, substantially as set forth. 6. The combination with the pivoted rails of a railroad switch, of an operating lever connected with said pivoted rails, a shaft, a weighted arm at one end of said shaft, a depending arm at the other end of the shaft, a latch to engage the depending arm,.a movable connection between said depending arm and said operating lever, a device to be operated by the train for operating said latch to release the depending arm and means controlled by the train for permitting said weighted arm to drop and close the switch, substantially as set forth. 7

7. The combination with the pivoted rails of a railroad switch and a movable bar adj acent to one of the track rails, of a pivoted lever having three arms, a connection between one of said arms and the pivoted switch rails, a connection betweensaid lever and the 1novable bar, an operatinglever, an arm adapted to move therewith, a connection between the last-mentioned arm and said pivoted lever, a slotted bar pivotally connected to the arm which moves with the operating lever, a setting lever, an arm adapted to move with the setting lever and connected with said slotted bar, a shaft, a weighted arm at one end of the 5 shaft, a depending arm at the other end of the shaft, a connection between the depending arm and arm carried by the setting lever, a spring actuated latch bar to engage said depending arm, a spring bar located adjacent [O to one of the track rails and adapted to be moved by the flange of awheel, and aconnection between said spring bar and latch bar, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscrib- 15 ing witnesses.

CLAUDE WV. \VENTZELL.

Witnesses:

JAMES CONWAY, R. E. S. HILDEBRAND. 

